A Father's Blessing
by Ri2
Summary: After many years of dancing around the issue, Weiss has finally decided to marry Ruby. There's one obstacle standing in the way of marital bliss, however: her father. However, when she attempts to convince him to grant her his blessing, his response is not quite what she expected...


Last year, my roommate convinced me to watch the first season of RWBY with him. One season turned into two, and then three, and now, after seeing all four volumes, as well as the one and a half seasons of RWBY Chibi, I can officially say I have become a fan of the series.

To commemorate the conclusion of volume four, I decided to write this short piece because why not?

One thing to keep in mind: The story probably takes place in a universe where Weiss' father is not the most horrible piece of walking excrement that ever was shat into being. Seriously, the man is a shisno.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me. I'd like to thank my roommate for getting me into this series and for editing this story. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him.

…

Weiss stared at the door looming before her.

It wasn't an especially large door, mind you. It was hand-carved from rich mahogany from the deepest woods of Vale, engraved with images of numerous great triumphs members the Schnee family had claimed over Grimm, humans, and (inevitably)Faunus. The ubiquitous snowflake emblem which was her family crest was everywhere, and when she was younger, Weiss had made a game of trying to count how many times the snowflake crest appeared on the door, because many of the places they turned up weren't always obvious.

She was especially proud of the time she noticed that the crystal doorknob had an internal lattice which replicated the snowflake crest twelve times. She was fairly certain Winter had never noticed that, and she was absolutely certain Whitley hadn't.

Yes, it was a very fine door indeed. Full of history. Rich in legacy. It had probably been here as long as the Schnee manor, and that had certainly been around for quite a while as well, with many fascinating stories of its own in every room-

"Um, why are you staring at the door?"

Weiss jumped, startled from her reverie by the voice of her companion, and she glanced at the lovely young woman standing beside her, her ever-present red cloak wrapped around her – – the poor dear, more used to the southern climes, felt cold in the northern kingdom of Atlas even when safely ensconced indoors– – her magnificent silver eyes glancing at her partner in concern. "I mean," Ruby Rose, Huntress extraordinaire, slayer of Grimm, leader of Team RWBY, defender of the innocent and vanquisher of the wicked, 12-time winner of the Patch cookie-eating competition, and Weiss's partner commented. "It's a _nice_ door, I suppose. Much more, um, detailed than the ones we have back home. Heck, I'm pretty sure I counted at least 97 snowflakes hidden in it –"

"93," Weiss corrected automatically.

"No, no, I'm pretty sure it's at least 97, the screws on the doorknob plate have little snowflake-shaped slots, though I have to wonder what sort of screwdriver you'd need to use on those things-" Ruby explained. Weiss cursed herself as she stared at the screws, wondering how she had never noticed that before now. Winter would never let her hear the end of it if she ever found out. "But while it's a very nice door, you've been looking at it for, like, 10 minutes now, so are you actually going to go in, or…?"

"I'm not stalling!" Weiss snapped.

Ruby blinked. "I… wasn't accusing you of stalling."

Crap. Weiss bit her lip and looked away. "Is there a reason that you _might_ be stalling?" Ruby asked awkwardly. "Not that I think you _are_ stalling or anything, just, you know… If you were stalling, would there be a reason for it?"

She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Ruby, as I'm sure you must be aware by now, my relationship with my father is… not quite the same as yours." And wasn't that the understatement of the millennium?

"Okay..." Ruby said, nodding slowly.

"My father is also not quite as… _tolerant_ as yours is," Weiss continued. "Faunus are not the only things he isn't fond of. While he hasn't said a word against people like us, he hasn't said anything _for_ them, either. So, I find myself rather understandably anxious about what he might say when he hears that not only do I lean… _that_ way, but that I wish to wed someone who isn't from the same social class or even country as myself."

Ruby contemplated this for moment. "That's a toughie," she admitted finally.

"You don't say," Weiss said flatly.

Ruby raised her hands defensively. "Sorry, I'm not trying to trivialize it or anything, it's just…" She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "You're right, my relationship with my dad is way different than yours. I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the concept of a parent who might not unconditionally love their child, no matter what."

"What about Raven?" Weiss asked .

"Raven isn't Yang's mother," Ruby said firmly. "She gave birth to her, but she's not her mother. She forfeited that right when she left." Weiss nodded apologetically, conceding that she shouldn't have brought it up. Raven Branwen would always be a sore sport for her beloved's family. "So, let's talk this through. Say he isn't happy about your decision. What's the worst he can do?"

"Disown me, disinherit me, cut me off from everything, exile me from the kingdom, and make it difficult if not impossible to hold down a job or life anywhere the SDC has holdings around the world," Weiss said matter-of-factly.

Ruby blinked. "Wow. That's a bit of an extreme reaction, don't you think?"

"He disowned my older sister when she ran away to join the military instead of staying around to play the perfect heiress. He set me up against a giant possessed suit of armor when I expressed a desire to attend a school somewhere not under his thumb. I'd say it's well within the realm of possibility," Weiss said weakly.

"Ah. Right. Well." Ruby chewed her lip for moment. "Okay, I'll admit, that's pretty bad…buuuuuut…"

"But?" Weiss asked, glancing at Ruby uneasily.

"Would it really be that bad, in the long run?" Ruby asked, giving Weiss a cautiously optimistic smile. "I mean, your sister has done pretty well for herself. Self-made woman, very high up in the Atlas military, poised to take Ironwood's place in both the Army and the Council when he inevitably retires-"

Weiss snorted. "Ironwood, retire? The man won't quit until he's dead. And assuming he replaces the rest of his body with metal, I'm not sure if that will ever happen."

"Fair enough," Ruby admitted. "But my point is… Yeah, it'd suck if your dad did that to you, but it would also mean you can get a fresh start. A new life outside the role he's been molding you for your whole life. A chance to be someone other than Weiss Schnee, heiress and future head of the Schnee Dust Corporation. Plus, we could still get married, it just… wouldn't probably be as big a thing. We can have a nice ceremony at Patch. Uncle Qrow could officiate."

"He's ordained?!" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's what I said when I found out too," Ruby confessed. "He's not quite sure how it happened, either. He might've gotten accredited while drunk. Wouldn't be the first time."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "That uncle of yours…" She sighed and shook her head. "Ruby, while I can't say that a part of what you said doesn't sound appealing… I _want_ to run the SDC. It's my heritage, my birthright, what I've wanted and been trained for my entire life. And if I'm cut off from it, there's no way I will ever be able to steer it in a new direction and redeem my family's name. Especially since if my father disinherits me, it'll all pass to my brother Whitley, which we simply cannot allow to happen."

Ruby winced. "That bad, huh?"

"There's a reason most of the staff calls him 'Shitley' behind his back," Weiss said dryly.

"Hehehe. 'Shitley'," Ruby giggled.

Weiss rolled her eyes again. "You're such an immature dolt."

"Yes, but I'm _your_ immature dolt!" Ruby replied cheerfully.

She had to struggle not to smile at that. "I suppose you are, at that."

"Anyway, that's just a worst-case scenario. Let's try thinking positive! Maybe he'll be okay with it! And then we can get married in a big fancy ceremony and move into a huge house with a dedicated armory and machine shop where I can teach our children how to build high-powered sniper rifles and test them out on the shooting range in the backyard and have servants ready around the clock to provide us with an unending supply of milk and cookies! Oh, and we'll have hundreds of corgis because corgis are the best."

"Ruby Rose, while I can unbiasedly agree with you that corgis are, in fact, the best, no child of ours is going to be trained how to use a sniper rifle from an early age!" Weiss cried, aghast. "They'll be taught how to use rapiers instead. A far more civilized weapon."

"But they aren't as cool as sniper rifles! Especially ones that are also scythes," Ruby cooed, pulling out her omnipresent weapon and rubbing her cheek against it.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you want to marry Crescent Rose instead of me?" she asked sarcastically.

"Of course not!" Ruby said quickly, shooting a guilty and apologetic look at her weapon. "Well, unless-"

"No, Ruby, I refuse to marry both you AND your overpowered rifle," Weiss said flatly. She considered for a moment, then said, "Well, unless we threw Myrtenaster into the arrangement as well, but that's just making things too complicated, so it's probably best to just keep it between the two of us."

"Makes sense," Ruby agreed. There was a pause. "So, are you going to knock on the door yet?"

Weiss winced. "Right. The door. Of course." She clenched her hand into a fist, raised it, but stopped a few inches away from the wooden surface of the portal before her, trembling. "You know," she said hesitantly. "He's probably busy right now… I doubt he'd like to be bothered… Maybe we should come back later-"

Ruby, losing her patience, leaned past Weiss and rapidly knocked a staccato against the door with her knuckles. Weiss stared at her girlfriend in horror. "RUBY!"

"You're welcome!" Ruby chirped, before vanishing in a flurry of rose petals.

Weiss stared at the spot where Ruby had just been, horror starting to twist into pure indignation and rage-

And suddenly Ruby was back. "Whoops, forgot something!" Before Weiss could say anything, she leaned forwards and kissed the heiress full on the lips. "There you go!" She said cheerfully. "Good luck!"

And with that, she was gone again in another swirl of rose petals. Weiss stared after her, her pale skin almost as red as her girlfriend's cape, wondering whether she should still be feeling angry, or …

"Enter," A voice called from behind the door, jolting Weiss out of her reverie. She bit her lip. It was time to face the music. Steeling herself, she opened the door and stepped into the room beyond.

Her father's office hadn't changed much from the last time she was there. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases stuffed with rare volumes she doubted he'd ever touched filled the walls. The floor was covered in carpeting so deep it was a wonder you didn't sink into it, with furniture so old that it probably predated most antiques strewn about. Very realistic-looking replicas of Grimm heads were mounted on the wall above the fireplace (which, as usual, was turned off, since her father, despite being arguably the richest man in the world, was still too cheap to bother keeping the house heated properly, even in the dead of winter). A large surprisingly high-tech world map took up most of the back wall displaying the locations of SDC holdings and shipping routes around the world, constantly updated in real time. Beneath that map was a large desk which looked to be carved from the same tree as the office door and decorated by the same woodworker.

And sitting behind that desk was her father, Jacques Schnee, his (bleached) white mustache bristling in annoyance at her intrusion into his study and interruption of some very important business, if the numerous piles of paperwork and open holographic display screens floating around him were anything to go by. "Young lady, we are not animals. You only need to knock once to be heard."

Weiss bit her lip in frustration. _Dammit, Ruby_. "Of course, father. My apologies."

"This had better be important to warrant interrupting me. You know I'm not to be disturbed at this hour," Jacques continued, his blue eyes holding even less warmth than the blizzard currently raging outside the manor. It wasn't until Weiss had met Ruby and Yang's father that she had realized it was possible for a parent to regard their children with anything more than cold disdain. _It's no wonder Mother is always drinking,_ Weiss thought with a tinge of sadness. _If he always looks at her like that, too…_

Weiss took a deep breath and straightened her back. Now that she was here, it was time to say what she'd come to say, consequences and doubts be damned. If she didn't do it now, if she chickened out at the last minute, Ruby would be so disappointed in her, and Weiss absolutely could not bear that.

Plus, Ruby might take it upon herself to try to ask her father for her hand in marriage in person, and Weiss rather doubted that could possibly end well.

"Father," she said, trying to keep her voice steady and hide any sign of weakness or fear. "I would like to get married."

Jacques' eyebrow shifted slightly in surprise. "Truly? The last time the subject was broached, I seem to recall you claiming that you weren't ready to be wed. And you then managed to convince me that the list of suitors I had drawn up were all unfit for you in one sense or another."

"They weren't then, and they still aren't now," Weiss said firmly. "But circumstances have changed, father. I am ready to be married now."

Jacques regarded her for a moment. "You aren't pregnant, are you?"

"What?! No!" she cried, startled. "Of course not!"

"My apologies. When you said circumstances had changed, that was the first thing that came to mind," Jacques said quickly.

"How could you possibly think that?! Do you really believe I would just let myself… get knocked up like that?!" Weiss shouted in indignation.

"Well, no, not on purpose," Jacques insisted, actually looking uncomfortable. "But you _are_ a Huntress. And there are certain…rumors about your profession. How sometimes missions can lead one to be spending an inordinate amount of time alone, out in the wild, and how certain…standards of decorum might be forgotten in the heat of the moment upon encountering the first other person you've had the chance to converse with in what might have been a very long time upon coming home…or perhaps, if you are with a partner, you might seek…a bit more _intimate_ companionship…it can get so very lonely out there in the wilderness. Or so I've been told."

Inwardly, Weiss cringed. Those rumors were a bit more truthful than she liked. She knew from experience. Fighting down a blush, she returned her attention to her father and, more calmly than she actually felt, stated, "Father, I'm not pregnant. However, I have found someone I would very much wish to marry, and seek your approval for our engagement."

Jacques nodded slowly. "All right. You are aware, of course, that if I do not approve of your prospective spouse, this union will never happen. And if you persist in seeking it anyway, there will be rather serious repercussions. Do I make myself clear?"

Weiss swallowed. "Yes, father. I understand."

Jacques steepled his hands on his desk. "All right. Tell me, then, who is it that you are interested in marrying? I'm going to assume that they aren't anyone I have attempted to convince you to wed in the past and don't frequent the same circles as most of your current associates."

"No, they don't," Weiss agreed. She took a deep breath. This was it. The moment of truth. After this, there was no going back. "Father, I would like to marry… Ruby Rose."

There was a rather pregnant, deeply uncomfortable pause. "Ruby Rose," Jacques repeated slowly, his features tightening slightly.

Weiss clenched fist. "Yes."

"Ruby Rose, as in your partner, team leader, and current guest under my roof."

"That is correct."

Another, even more uncomfortable pause stretched between them. Weiss grew more and more anxious by the second. _Why doesn't he say anything?!_ He said nervously. _Yes or no, at this point, it doesn't matter, just say SOMETHING!_

"Very well," Jacques said finally. "Ruby is a satisfactory partner for you. You have my blessings."

For a moment, Weiss was certain she had misheard. Did her father… did he actually say… "I… I can marry Ruby?" she asked, stunned.

Jacques nodded, his customary frown creasing his face. "Yes, that is what I said. Do not make me repeat myself, daughter. You know I do not like doing that."

"I-I'm sorry father, it's just… I'm rather astonished. Elated, certainly! And extremely grateful! It's just…" Weiss stammered.

"Not exactly the answer you were expecting me to give you," her father finished.

Weiss gulped. "No," she admitted.

Jacques nodded. "An understandable assumption. While I will admit that Miss Rose is… not quite my first choice to take your hand in marriage, she has a surprising amount of good qualities to speak of in spite of her lack of social status or income. She's the youngest Huntress in recorded history, an excellent combatant and leader if her various mission reports are anything to go by, has slain a number of legendary Grimm and dismantled powerful criminal organizations, and is the daughter of Summer Rose, who was among—if not _the-_ greatest Huntress of her generation, and her offspring is quickly looking to not only match, but _surpass_ her legend. She's famous, popular among the younger generation, has come up with a staggering number of patents and innovations in weapons design and Dust refinery, is one of the few members of her profession to inspire a toy line, and is the 12-time winner of the Patch Island cookie-eating competition, which is, I am told, apparently a very big deal. While she is, from a social and fiscal standpoint, beneath you, the distance is not as great as one might think at first glance. There would be some talk about you marrying down, but there would be talking no matter whom you married, and I believe the benefits of bringing her into the family would far outweigh any possible scandal, _especially_ if we can tap her mind for our R&D division."

"Ruby is very good with weapons," Weiss agreed. The fact that her father was approving of her match with Ruby more because of how it might impact the company rather than her personal feelings didn't come as a surprise to her. She had long ago come to accept the fact that her father rarely, if ever, cared about how she felt about anything.

"In addition, she possesses the rare and mysterious 'Silver-Eye' power, a… dare I say it… _mystical_ ability which defies understanding and operates on rules completely different from everything we know about Dust and Semblance." Jacques' cold eyes seemed to glow with a fire that was unnatural compared to his usual icy demeanor. "And, most importantly, it is a power which is _hereditary_ , much like the Schnee glyph and summoning ability… And since the silver-eye power, however it works, is fundamentally distinct from our family's special ability, that means that any offspring the two of you can share thanks to the miracle of modern science may very well possess _both_ traits. Can you imagine it, Weiss? A Schnee who could not only summon the spirits of their slain opponents, but master the mysterious power of the Silver Eyes? They would be unstoppable. Adding such a trait to our family's gene pool could ensure the supremacy of the Schnee line for centuries to come."

Weiss found herself taken aback at this. The thought that any child she or Ruby had might possess both of their special abilities had never occurred to her. _And why should it?_ she thought cynically. _It's not like I would see a child as nothing more than a tool to further my own power base._ Still, as much as her father's talk of eugenics sickened her on some level, she couldn't deny the appeal. As much as the current state of her family's reputation disgusted her, she did want to see it redeemed and stand the test of time, and this might be one way to ensure the Schnee name stayed alive for generations to come. Additionally, any child she or Ruby birthed would be sure to be the target of a lot of attention, both good and bad, and the stronger that child was, the better it would be able to survive whatever life threw at it. "Do you really think that could work?" she asked. "The inheritance of Semblance—or any trait, really- is rarely a sure thing."

"At the present, that might be true," Jacques agreed. "However, after your brother was born without the power to summon, I decided to fund research into genetic manipulation to try and ensure that future members of our family might be able to avoid that particular... disability."

"I see," Weiss said, her mouth in a thin straight line. No matter how much Whitley might deny it, she couldn't help but think that on some level, part of his deep-seated hatred of his sisters had something to do with his lacking the power to summon, and as such kept him from being a 'true' Schnee.

"We haven't quite gotten there yet, but I'm fairly confident that by the time you and Miss Rose choose to produce an heir, we'll have made enough breakthroughs in in-utero gene therapy to make sure that your child has both Silver Eyes and the power to summon," Jacques explained.

Weiss couldn't help frowning at that. "Do I actually have a choice in the matter? It is _my_ child, after all."

Jacques gave her a look. "So you're saying you _don't_ want to guarantee that your future offspring has as many advantages as possible to handle whatever life might throw at them?"

"Fair enough," she said grudgingly. While it was true she _did_ want her child to have as much power as possible, she didn't like how her father made it sound like her opinion in the matter didn't matter. Not for the first or last time, she found herself resenting just how much control he had over her life.

Still, if it meant that she would get to marry Ruby, she was willing to allow him to get away with a lot. "Thank you, father. When I came in here, I wasn't sure you would agree to my request. I am very grateful that you did. And so is Ruby, I'm sure."

He waived dismissively at her. "Well, as I said, while Miss Rose is not my first choice for your spouse, you could certainly have settled for a lot worse. After all, for all her flaws, at least she's _human,_ unlike that ex-terrorist Faunus you insist on spending time with."

Weiss stiffened at his casual insult of her teammate and good friend Blake. It hadn't been the first time he'd spoken disparagingly of her, but now, in this context… _You've got what you want, let it go. You've got what you want, let it go. YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU WANT, LET IT GO._

"You are aware, father," Weiss heard herself saying, much to her horror, "that that 'ex-terrorist Faunus' is the daughter of Ghira Belladonna, chieftain of Menagerie? Which means that she's next in line to rule an entire subcontinent, as well as a figure of respect and leadership for Faunus all over Remnant. If I, or anyone from our family, WERE to marry her, not only would it give us a significant increase in our geopolitical power, but also go a long way towards amending our PR where Faunus are concerned AND give us access to the more-or-less untapped Dust reserves in Menagerie, which, traditionally, the SDC has had an extremely difficult time getting access to."

She purposefully did NOT point at the map behind her father's desk, where the subcontinent of Menagerie was an almost embarrassingly blank spot compared to the other snowflake-riddled landmasses filling the map. She still had that much self-control, at least.

The look on her father's face was almost comical as his ingrained distaste for Faunus warred with his natural greed. As usual, greed won. "I don't suppose…"

"She's already taken," Weiss interrupted.

Jacques sighed in disappointment. "Oh well. It was worth a shot. Still, if you persist in maintaining a friendship with her, perhaps your children might…" He shook his head. "But that's not for years to come. Right now we have your own wedding to focus on. Have you given thought to when and where you wish to have it?"

"I have," Weiss said. " _We_ have, rather. We were hoping to have it on Ruby's home island of Patch, during the summer."

Her father frowned. "Patch island? That's a bit… Provincial for my tastes. What's wrong with Atlas?"

"It's too cold for her liking," Weiss said, almost in apology.

Jacques snorted. "Southerners. Well, I suppose this is just one of many concessions I'm going to have to make if she is to be part of our family. Very well. Forward me the details once you've hashed things out with her and I'll pay for it… So long as it's not TOO expensive, that is. I don't want her thinking that just because she's marrying into our family, that means she can spend as much of our lien as she pleases."

"I assure you, father, the thought never crossed her mind," Weiss said firmly.

He grunted. "I suppose I'll have to take your word for it." He gestured dismissively at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of some very important business when you interrupted me. You can go now."

Weiss nodded and turned to leave. She hesitated before grabbing the doorknob. "Father… Thank you."

He did not respond. His attention was already directed back to his many screens, focusing once again on the task of managing the Schnee Empire. Not for the first time, Weiss promised herself that she and Ruby's child would NEVER want for parental attention.

She turned the knob and opened the door, almost hitting Ruby. "Weiss!" She cried, laughing shrilly. "I most certainly was not standing outside with my ear pressed against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside the office!" She yelled rather unconvincingly. She glanced over Weiss's shoulder and waved at her father. "Hello, Mr. Schnee! Thanks for letting me stay here at your big cold fancy house and marry your daughter!"

Weiss's father grunted in reply, already starting to wonder if he'd made a grave mistake. Weiss quickly closed the door before he could change his mind. "He said yes!" she squealed excitedly the moment she was certain there was a wooden buffer between her and her father, allowing herself an uncharacteristically girlish display of emotion.

"I know! Um, I mean, that's wonderful, and a complete surprise, which I most certainly was not aware of already due to my eavesdropping, which I most certainly wasn't!" Ruby said loudly and very unconvincingly.

Weiss was too excited to care about her now-fiancé's impropriety and kissed her on the lips. "I can't believe he really said yes! Granted, he did it for largely selfish and vaguely creepy reasons, which is more or less to be expected from him, but still, he said yes!"

They both giggled giddily. "That means soon, I'm going to become Ruby Schnee-Rose!" Ruby said ecstatically. She paused. "Or is that Ruby Rose-Schnee? Schnose? Ronee?"

"We can figure that out later," Weiss said dismissively. "Though I can guarantee it will be neither of the latter two. Those are preposterous."

"Awww," Ruby complained. "I thought they sounded nice…"

"Well, you thought wrong, dolt," Weiss said cheerfully. "Come on, we should tell the others the good news."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, dad'll flip! I hope Blake's parents say yes, too. Then we can have a Team RWBY double wedding!"

"Do you think Yang will have any problems?" Weiss asked in concern. "Blake's parents don't exactly have a lot of reasons to like humans…"

"Pssh, it'll be fine!" Ruby snorted. "It's Yang we're talking about! _Everybody_ loves Yang!"

…

Meanwhile, in Menagerie…

"I don't like you," grunted Ghira Belladonna, the massive chieftain of the subcontinent of Menagerie and one of the founding members of the White Fang Faunus right/international terrorism organization, as he looked disdainfully at the buxom blonde sitting across the table from him.

"Really? That's weird, most people seem to like me. Your daughter _certainly_ does," Yang quipped, giving a rakish grin to Blake, sitting next to her father.

The cat Faunus groaned and put her face into her hands as her father growled. "Yang, please don't antagonize my father."

"Hey, I can't help being me," Yang protested. "And who I am is _irresistible_!"

Blaze groaned again. Her mother, sitting on her father's other side, licked her lips and leered at Yang. "Me- _wow_. You can say that again. Blake, I think she's a keeper. I like her even more than the last one!"

"Mother!" a horrified Blake cried at the same time as an aghast Ghira yelled "Kali!"

Yang grinned. "Blake, would it be racially offensive if I said your mother was a cougar?"

"Yes!" both Blake and Ghira yelled at the same time. Kali giggled and said, "Oh, I don't mind. I'm quite flattered, actually. You are such a charmer, Miss Xiao Long!"

Yang laughed. "That's one word for it, I suppose!"

Eye twitching, Ghira struggle to regain control of the situation. "Miss Xiao Long, while I am aware of your exploits, and must concede that you are no doubt an upstanding individual and a good and faithful friend to my daughter…I find myself hesitant to grant you my blessing to marry my daughter."

Yang frowned. "Oh come on, it's not because I'm human, is it?"

"It's not that!" Ghira said a little too quickly. "Well, not… entirely anyway… " He sighed. "The fact of the matter, Yang, is that my daughter is next in line to rule Menagerie as chieftain. Faunus respect strength, and will not follow a leader they do not feel they can respect. As such, it is important that she has a mate that our people can believe in. The fact that you are a human is a rather sizable black mark against you. As I'm sure you know, we… have not exactly had the best history with humans. Things may be changing in the outer world, perhaps, but not quickly enough, and many of us have long memories."

Yang considered this. "Okay, I guess I can understand that," she said reluctantly. "So what do I have to do to prove to you that I'm the right mate for your daughter?"

"As I said, Faunus respect strength," Ghira repeated. "I am undoubtedly the strongest Faunus in Menagerie, and my beloved wife Kali is one of the few capable of defeating me in a fight. My daughter is another. If you want to prove to me that you are truly worthy of marrying my daughter, that you are strong enough to stand by her no matter what the world throws at the two of you, then you must be able to defeat me in a test of strength."

Yang grinned at this. "Okay, now this I can get behind. So you want to fight, then?"

"That would normally be the custom, yes," Ghira acknowledged. "But we're still repairing our training room after my and Kali's last sparring session. I am open to alternatives, however. There are, after all, many other possible tests of strength warriors such as we can challenge each other with."

"Fair enough," Yang said cheerfully. "How about arm wrestling?"

Ghira considered this. "A little underwhelming, but I suppose it will do. I accept." He frowned. "So long, of course, as you abstain from using your prosthetic. It gives you an unfair advantage."

Yang chuckled. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on using it anyway."

"Yang, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Blake asked somewhat anxiously as both Yang and Ghira put their arms on the table, clasping their hands. "We could still elope."

"Nah, I've got this," Yang assured Blake confidently.

"You are very sure of yourself," Ghira commented, raising an eyebrow.

"That pretty much describes Yang in a nutshell," Blake muttered.

"I should warn you, however, that Blake's last beau, Adam Taurus, did not last even a minute in a fight against me," Ghira informed Yang. "And if I recall correctly, Adam is the reason you even have that prosthetic limb in the first place."

"Yeah? Well, I'm a lot stronger now than I was then," Yang said seriously. "The next time I see that asshole, I'm gonna take off _his_ arm."

"If you did that, I would accept you as my daughter-in-law without a second thought," Ghira told her, equally serious. "Something to think about while you're recovering in the hospital after I beat you."

"Good to know," Yang said. She grinned savagely, eyes turning red. "Except _I'm not going to lose_."

Blake groaned and put her face in her hands. "Do we really have to do this?"

"Oh, let the boys have their fun, dear," Kali said breezily.

"Yang isn't a boy," Blake pointed out.

"Since when does that matter? Besides, they're both so delicious to look at!" The older woman purred, licking her lips. Blake cringed.

"Are you ready, human?" Ghira asked Yang.

"I've been beating my dad in arm wrestling matches since I was 10, and trust me, he's a LOT stronger than you. Yeah, I'm ready," Yang said.

Ghira nodded. "On three, then. One… Two… THREE!"

Five seconds later, the table was broken, the floor cracked, and there was a rather sizable hole in the wall. When he stopped seeing Nevermores circling his head, Ghira gave Blake and Yang his permission to wed. Then he yelled at them to go outside if they were going to have such messy public displays of emotion, because he didn't want any of that under his roof. Kali, predictably, was sorely disappointed.


End file.
